具体实施方式：
[0024]To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one implementation may be beneficially incorporated in other implementations without further recitation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025]Embodiments described herein generally relate to a brush, a method of forming a brush, and a structure embodied in a machine readable medium. The brush includes a body and a channel configured to deliver a cleaning liquid through holes in the body. The method forms the brush using 3D printing. The structure provides details for making the brush. The brushes are rotated in order to clean the surface of a substrate. The method does not require the removal of active porogen used in conventional brush-making methods. This improves the speed and ease of manufacture of the brush. In addition, new designs can be used with the same manufacturing process by varying the details of the structure and 3D printing method. Embodiments of the disclosure can be useful for, but are not limited to, brushes and manufacture of brushes for post-CMP cleaning processes.
[0026]As used herein, the term “about” refers to a +/−10% variation from the nominal value. It is to be understood that such a variation can be included in any value provided herein.
[0027]The brushes feature pores that are selectively arranged across a brushing surface (i.e., a surface of the body of the brush and/or the brushing elements if present). As used herein, the term “pore” includes openings defined in the brushing surface, voids formed in the material below the brushing surface, pore-forming features disposed in the brushing surface, and pore-forming features disposed in the brushing material below the brushing surface. Pore-forming features typically comprise a water-soluble-sacrificial material that dissolves upon exposure to a fluid, thus forming a corresponding opening in the brushing surface and/or void in the brushing material below the brushing surface. In some embodiments, the water-soluble-sacrificial material swells upon exposure to a fluid, thus deforming the surrounding brushing material to provide asperities at the brushing surface. The resulting pores and asperities desirably facilitate transporting liquid to the interface between the brushing surface and a to-be-brushed material surface of a substrate.
[0028]The term “selectively arranged pores” as used herein refers to the distribution of pores within the brushing surface. Herein, the pores are distributed in one or both directions of an X-Y plane parallel to the brushing surface (i.e., laterally) and in a Z-direction which is orthogonal to the X-Y planes (i.e., vertically).
[0029]FIG. 1A illustrates a schematic side view of a cleaning system 100, according to one embodiment. FIG. 1B illustrates a schematic top view of the cleaning system 100, according to one embodiment. The cleaning system 100 is configured to clean a substrate 101 (e.g., after a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process). As shown, the cleaning system 100 includes a plurality of rollers 110, one or more brushes 102, one or more fluid sources 130, one or more fluid inputs 131, and one or more brush actuators 105.
[0030]The one or more brushes 102 are configured to clean and/or remove debris, residue, or other contaminants from a surface of the substrate 101. For example, the debris can include leftover polishing pad debris, slurry particles and other polish byproducts. As shown, the brush 102 includes a body 109, a channel 104 disposed in the body, and a plurality of brushing elements 103. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a cleaning system 100 including two brushes 102, with one of the brushes cleaning a top surface 101A of the substrate 101, and another brush cleaning a bottom surface 101B of the substrate. However, any number of brushes 102 can be included, with any number of brushes on either surface of the substrate 101. In addition, although a circular substrate 101 is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, any shape of substrate can benefit from the cleaning system 100 disclosed herein. The length and radius of the brushes 102 vary with the size of the substrate to be cleaned. The brushes 102 have a brushing surface, defined as a portion of the brush that touches the surface of the substrate 101. The brushing surface can include any portion of the body 109 that touches the surface of the substrate 101. The brushing surface can include any portion of the brushing elements 103 (if present) that touches the surface of the substrate 101.
[0031]Although the brush 102 is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B as having a generally cylindrical shape, other brush shapes are contemplated. For example, the brush 102 can have a wedge shape, such that a radius r of the brush is larger at a first end of the brush 102A than at a second end 102B of the brush. In another example, the brush 102 has an hourglass shape, such that the radius r of is smaller at the center 102C of the brush than at either the first end 102A or the second end 102B of the brush.
[0032]The one or more brush actuators 105 are configured to rotate the one or more brushes 102. The one or more brushes 102 can be connected to a single brush actuator 105, or the one or more brushes can be connected to any number of brush actuators 105. The brush actuators 105 rotate the brushes 102, such that the brush 102 is pressed or urged against the surface 101A, 101B of the substrate 101. The brushes 102 can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The brushes 102 can rotate in the same direction, or in different directions from what another. The brushes 102 can be mounted via the channel 104.
[0033]The plurality of rollers 110 rotate the substrate 101 during cleaning, increasing the removal of debris and residue from the surfaces 101A, 101B of the substrate. One or more roller actuators 120 are configured to rotate the plurality of rollers 110. The plurality of rollers 110 can rotate the substrate 101 in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
[0034]The channel 104 of the brush 102 is fluidly connected to the fluid input 131. The fluid input 131 is fluidly connected to a fluid source 130. The fluid source 130 is configured to deliver a cleaning liquid 115 to the brush 102, and thus to the surface of the substrate 101 through the brushing elements 103 and/or body 109. In other embodiments, the fluid source 130 is configured to deliver the cleaning liquid 115 directly to a surface of the substrate 101 via a nozzle (not shown) not attached to the brush 102. In other embodiments, the brush 102 does not include brushing elements, and the cleaning liquid 115 is delivered by pores holes in the body 109.
[0035]For effective cleaning, it is desired that the brushing surface is approximately coplanar to the substrate surface 101A, 101B. In some embodiments, the brush 102 includes a plurality of brushing elements 103. The brushing elements 103 include any element that can used in the art that can make effective contact with the substrate surface 101A, 101B such that the brushing surface is substantially in the same plane as the substrate surface. The brushing elements 103 can include any feature used in the art to clean a surface, such as, but not limited to, nodules, nodes, brushes, or wipers. The brushing elements 103 can be of conventional size, such as about 1 mm dimensions, or microscopic, such as about 1 μm dimensions. As disclosed herein, the dimension of the brushing element 103 can be a radius, diameter, and/or height of the brushing element. Although the brushing elements 103 are arranged in a rectangular grid as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the brushing elements can form any desired pattern. In some embodiments, the brushing elements 103 have a star-shape, which allow the brushing elements to remove more debris present on the substrate 101.
[0036]The brushing elements 103 include nodules with dimensions from about 10 μm to about 1 mm, such as from about 50 μm to about 250 μm, according to one embodiment. The brushing elements 103 include wipers with dimensions from about 50 μm to about 500 μm, according to one embodiment. Wiper like features have rectangular shape and are expected to be most effective in the 100-500 um length with 50-100 um width. All features are nominally 50-100 um high, though could also be as small as 20 and as high as 200 um.
[0037]The brushing elements 103 are pressed or urged against the surface 101A, 101B of the substrate 101 during cleaning. In some embodiments, the brushing elements 103 are configured to eject the cleaning liquid 115 onto a surface of the substrate 101. The brushing elements 103 include holes and/or pores configured to deliver the cleaning liquid 115. The combination of the urging of the brushing elements 103 and delivering the cleaning liquid 115 assists in removing debris and other contaminants from the surface of the substrate 101. The cleaning liquid 115 can include any liquid used in the art for cleaning of a substrate, such as a high pH solution.
[0038]FIG. 2 illustrates a zoomed-in portion of the brush 102, according to one embodiment. The body 109 include a first polymer material. As shown, the body 109 includes a plurality of body holes (alternatively referred to as body pores) 210 having a first body region 211. The body holes 210 are configured to have different shapes and sizes, such as, but not limited to, circular, polygonal, or irregular shapes. The body holes 210 holes have a dimension from about 10 μm to about 100 μm. The body holes 210 are fluidly connected to the channel 104. The body holes 210 are interconnected with one another, such that the body holes are configured to deliver a cleaning solution therethrough. The cleaning solution flows through the channel 104, and the body holes 210, such that the cleaning solution (e.g., the cleaning liquid 115 of FIGS. 1A and 1B) is delivered to a surface of a substrate (e.g., the surfaces 101A, 101B of the substrate 101 of FIGS. 1A and 1B). As used herein, “porosity” refers to the volume of void-space as a percentage of the total bulk volume in a given sample. The porosity of the first body region 211 is greater than about 70%. The high porosity of the first body region 211 allows for an efficient ejection of cleaning liquid (e.g., the cleaning liquid 115 of FIGS. 1A and 1B) through the large volume of the holes in the first body region.
[0039]The plurality of body holes 210 has a second body region 213, and a second body porosity of the second body region is greater than the first body porosity, according to one embodiment. The plurality of body holes 210 has a third body region 212, a third body porosity of the third body region is greater than the first body porosity, and the third body porosity is less than the second body porosity, according to one embodiment. The plurality of body holes 210 can have a size gradient between regions. Said another way, the size of the body holes 210 can vary linearly or in any other fashion in different portions of the body 109. The body hole 210 size can vary along the surface of the body 109 (i.e., the X-Y plane) or through the depth of the body (i.e., the Z direction). In some embodiments, the body holes 210 are larger close to the channel 104 and the body holes become smaller at a surface of the body 102. This allows for a larger volume of cleaning liquid to be passed from the channel 104 to the substrate through the body holes 210, thus improving the cleaning of the substrate.
[0040]The brush 102 includes the plurality of brushing elements 103, according to some embodiments. The brushing element 103 includes a second polymer material. The first polymer material of the body 109 is different from the second polymer material of the brushing elements 103, according to one embodiment. The first polymer material of the body 109 is the same as the second polymer material of the brushing elements 103, according to one embodiment.
[0041]As shown, the brushing element 103 includes a plurality of element holes (alternatively referred to as element pores) 220 having a first element region 221. The element holes 220 are configured to have different shapes and sizes, such as, but not limited to, circular, polygonal, or irregular shapes. The element holes 220 are fluidly connected to the channel 104. The element holes 220 are interconnected, such that the element holes are configured to deliver a cleaning solution therethrough. The cleaning solution flows through the channel 104, and the element holes 220, such that the cleaning solution (e.g., the cleaning liquid 115 of FIGS. 1A and 1B) is delivered to a surface of a substrate (e.g., the surfaces 101A, 101B of the substrate 101 of FIGS. 1A and 1B). The porosity of the first element region 221 is greater than about 70%. The high porosity of the first element region 221 allows for an efficient ejection of cleaning liquid (e.g., the cleaning liquid 115 of FIGS. 1A and 1B) through the large volume of the holes in the first element region.
[0042]The plurality of element holes 220 has a second element region 223, and a second body porosity of the second element region is greater than the element body porosity, according to one embodiment. The plurality of element holes 220 has a third element region 222, a third element porosity of the third element region is greater than the first element porosity, and the third element porosity is less than the second element porosity, according to one embodiment. The first element porosity is greater than the first body porosity, according to one embodiment.
[0043]The plurality of element holes 220 can have a size gradient between regions. Said another way, the size of the holes 220 can vary linearly or in any other fashion in different portions of the brushing element 103. The hole 220 size can vary along the surface of the brushing element 103 (i.e., the X-Y plane) or through the depth of the brushing element (i.e., the Z direction). In some embodiments, the element holes 220 are larger close to the channel 104 and the element holes become smaller at a surface of the brushing element 103. This allows for a larger volume of cleaning liquid to be passed from the channel 104 to the substrate through the element holes 220, thus improving the cleaning of the substrate.
[0044]Typically, the holes disclosed herein have (X-Y) dimensions which are about 500 μm or less, such as about 400 μm or less, about 300 μm or less, about 200 μm or less, or about 150 μm or less. In some embodiments, the holes will have at least one lateral dimension that is about 5 μm or more, about 10 μm or more, about 25 μm or more, or about 50 μm or more. In some embodiments, the holes will have at least one lateral dimension in the range of about 50 μm to about 250 μm, such as in the range of about 50 μm to about 200 μm, about 50 μm to about 150 μm. The holes are spaced apart by about 5 μm or more, such as about 10 μm or more, 20 μm or more, 30 μm or more, 40 μm or more, or 50 μm or more.
[0045]FIG. 3A illustrates a schematic sectional view of an additive manufacturing system 300, according to one embodiment. The additive manufacturing system 300 is configured to print component 303 (e.g., the brush 102) using a three-dimensional (3D) printing process. As shown, the additive manufacturing system 300 includes a movable manufacturing support 302, a plurality of dispense heads 304, 305, 306, 307 disposed above the manufacturing support 302, a treatment source 308, and a system controller 310. The dispense heads 304, 305, 306, 307 can move independently of one another and independently of the manufacturing support 302 during the polishing pad manufacturing process. The first and second dispense heads 304 and 306 are respectively fluidly coupled to a first pre-polymer composition source 312 and a first sacrificial material source 314 which are used to form the body 109 including the first polymer material and the plurality of body holes 210 described in FIG. 2 above. The third and fourth dispense heads 305 and 307 are respectively fluidly coupled to a second pre-polymer composition source 313 and second sacrificial material source 315 which are used to form the brushing elements 103 including the second polymer material and the plurality of element holes 220 described in FIG. 2 above.
[0046]In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing system 300 includes as many dispense heads as desired to each dispense a different pre-polymer composition or sacrificial material precursor composition. In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing system 300 further comprises pluralities of dispense heads where two or more dispense heads are configured to dispense the same pre-polymer compositions or sacrificial material precursor compositions.
[0047]Here, each of dispense heads 304, 305, 306, 307 features an array of droplet ejecting nozzles 316 configured to eject droplets 330, 331, 332, 333 of the first pre-polymer composition 312, the first sacrificial material composition 314, the second pre-polymer composition 313, and the second sacrificial material composition 315, respectively, delivered to the dispense head reservoirs. Here, the droplets 330, 331, 332, 333 are ejected towards the manufacturing support 302 and thus onto the manufacturing support 302 or onto a previously formed print layer 318 disposed on the manufacturing support 302. Typically, each of the dispense heads 304, 305, 306, 307 is configured to fire (e.g., control the ejection of) droplets 330, 331, 332, 333 from each of the nozzles 316 in a respective geometric array or pattern independently of the firing other nozzles 316 thereof. Herein, the nozzles 316 are independently fired according to a droplet dispense pattern for a print layer to be formed as the dispense heads 304, 305, 306, 307 move relative to the manufacturing support 302. Once dispensed, the droplets of the first and/or second pre-polymer composition and/or the droplets of the first and/or second sacrificial material composition are at least partially treated. The treatment can include exposure to electromagnetic radiation (e.g., ultraviolet (UV) radiation) provided by an electromagnetic radiation source, such as a treatment source 308 including a UV light source, to form a print layer.
[0048]In some embodiments, dispensed droplets of the pre-polymer compositions, such as the dispensed droplets 330 of the first pre-polymer composition, are exposed to electromagnetic radiation to physically fix the droplet before it spreads to an equilibrium size as shown in FIG. 3B. Typically, the dispensed droplets are exposed to electromagnetic radiation to at least partially cure the pre-polymer compositions thereof within 1 second or less of the droplet contacting a surface, such as the surface of the manufacturing support 302 or of a previously formed print layer 318 disposed on the manufacturing support 302.
[0049]FIG. 3B illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a droplet 330a disposed on a surface 318a, according to one embodiment. In a typically additive manufacturing process, a droplet of pre-polymer composition, such as the droplet 330a, will spread and reach an equilibrium contact angle α with the surface 318a of a previously formed layer within about one second from the moment in time that the droplet 330a contacts the surface 318a. The equilibrium contact angle α is a function of at least the material properties of the pre-polymer composition and the energy at the surface 318a (e.g., the surface energy) of the previously formed layer (e.g., previously formed layer 318). In some embodiments, it is desirable to at least partially cure the dispensed droplet before it reaches an equilibrium size, in order to fix the contact angle of the droplet with the surface 318a of the previously formed layer. In those embodiments, the fixed droplet's 330b contact angle θ is greater than the equilibrium contact angle α of the droplet 330a of the same pre-polymer composition which was allowed to spread to its equilibrium size.
[0050]Herein, at least partially curing a dispensed droplet causes the at least partial polymerization (e.g., cross-linking) of the pre-polymer composition(s) within the droplets and with adjacently disposed droplets of the same or different pre-polymer composition to form a continuous polymer phase. In some embodiments, the pre-polymer compositions are dispensed and at least partially cured to form a well about a desired pore before a sacrificial material composition is dispensed thereinto.
[0051]The pre-polymer compositions used to form the first polymer material of the body 109 and the second polymer material of the brushing elements 103 described above each comprise a mixture of one or more of functional polymers, functional oligomers, functional monomers, reactive diluents, and photoinitiators. The pre-polymer compositions for the first polymer material and the second polymer material are the same or different, according to one embodiment. The first polymer material and the second polymer material are the same or different, according to one embodiment.
[0052]Examples of suitable functional polymers which may be used to form one or both of the at least two pre-polymer compositions include multifunctional acrylates including di, tri, tetra, and higher functionality acrylates, such as 1,3,5-triacryloylhexahydro-1,3,5-triazine or trimethylolpropane triacrylate.
[0053]Examples of suitable functional oligomers which may be used to form one or both of the at least two pre-polymer compositions include monofunctional and multifunctional oligomers, acrylate oligomers, such as aliphatic urethane acrylate oligomers, aliphatic hexafunctional urethane acrylate oligomers, diacrylate, aliphatic hexafunctional acrylate oligomers, multifunctional urethane acrylate oligomers, aliphatic urethane diacrylate oligomers, aliphatic urethane acrylate oligomers, aliphatic polyester urethane diacrylate blends with aliphatic diacrylate oligomers, or combinations thereof, for example bisphenol-A ethoxylate diacrylate or polybutadiene diacrylate, tetrafunctional acrylated polyester oligomers, and aliphatic polyester based urethane diacrylate oligomers.
[0054]Examples of suitable monomers which may be used to from one or both of the at least two pre-polymer compositions include both mono-functional monomers and multifunctional monomers. Suitable mono-functional monomers include tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate (e.g. SR285 from Sartomer®), tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate, vinyl caprolactam, isobornyl acrylate, isobornyl methacrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl methacrylate, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, isooctyl acrylate, isodecyl acrylate, isodecyl methacrylate, lauryl acrylate, lauryl methacrylate, stearyl acrylate, stearyl methacrylate, cyclic trimethylolpropane formal acrylate, 2-[[(Butylamino) carbonyl]oxy]ethyl acrylate (e.g. Genomer 1122 from RAHN USA Corporation), 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane acrylate, or mono-functional methoxylated PEG (350) acrylate. Suitable multifunctional monomers include diacrylates or dimethacrylates of diols and polyether diols, such as propoxylated neopentyl glycol diacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate, 1,3-butylene glycol diacrylate, 1,3-butylene glycol dimethacrylate 1,4-butanediol diacrylate, 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate, alkoxylated aliphatic diacrylate (e.g., SR9209A from Sartomer®), diethylene glycol diacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, dipropylene glycol diacrylate, tripropylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, alkoxylated hexanediol diacrylates, or combinations thereof, for example SR562, SR563, SR564 from Sartomer®.
[0055]Typically, the reactive diluents used to form one or more of the pre-polymer compositions are least monofunctional, and undergo polymerization when exposed to free radicals, Lewis acids, and/or electromagnetic radiation. Examples of suitable reactive diluents include monoacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, octyldecyl acrylate, cyclic trimethylolpropane formal acrylate, caprolactone acrylate, isobornyl acrylate (IBOA), or alkoxylated lauryl methacrylate.
[0056]Examples of suitable photoinitiators used to form one or more of the at least two different pre-polymer compositions include polymeric photoinitiators and/or oligomer photoinitiators, such as benzoin ethers, benzyl ketals, acetyl phenones, alkyl phenones, phosphine oxides, benzophenone compounds and thioxanthone compounds that include an amine synergist, or combinations thereof.
[0057]Examples of first and/or second polymer materials formed by the pre-polymer compositions described above typically include at least one of oligomeric and, or, polymeric segments, compounds, or materials selected from the group consisting of: polyamides, polycarbonates, polyesters, polyether ketones, polyethers, polyoxymethylenes, polyether sulfone, polyetherimides, polyimides, polyolefins, polysiloxanes, polysulfones, polyphenylenes, polyphenylene sulfides, polyurethanes, polystyrene, polyacrylonitriles, polyacrylates, polymethylmethacrylates, polyurethane acrylates, polyester acrylates, polyether acrylates, epoxy acrylates, polycarbonates, polyesters, melamines, polysulfones, polyvinyl materials, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), halogenated polymers, block copolymers, and random copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof.
[0058]In one embodiment, first and second polymer materials include molecules with a soft core and acrylate functional groups. UV curing these functional groups results in polymerization of the molecules, thus forming the first and/or second polymer materials. For example, a UV curable formation of molecules, when exposed to UV light, forms a soft hydrophilic matrix to match wet PVA. Examples of the soft core include, but are not limited to, silicone, PVA, urethane, aliphatic urethane, acetate, epoxide, and combinations thereof.
[0059]The sacrificial material composition(s) used to form the plurality of body holes 210 and/or the plurality of element holes 220 described above, include water-soluble material, such as, glycols (e.g., polyethylene glycols), glycol-ethers, and amines. Examples of suitable sacrificial material precursors which may be used to form the pore forming features described herein include ethylene glycol, butanediol, dimer diol, propylene glycol-(1,2) and propylene glycol-(1,3), octane-1,8-diol, neopentyl glycol, cyclohexane dimethanol (1,4-bis-hydroxymethylcyclohexane), 2-methyl-1,3-propane diol, glycerine, trimethylolpropane, hexanediol-(1,6), hexanetriol-(1,2,6) butane triol-(1,2,4), trimethylolethane, pentaerythritol, quinitol, mannitol and sorbitol, methylglycoside, also diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, polyethylene glycols, dibutylene glycol, polybutylene glycols, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGMBE), diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethanolamine, diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA), and combinations thereof.
[0060]In some embodiments, the sacrificial material precursor comprises a water soluble polymer, such as 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, vinylimidazole, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, acrylic acid, sodium styrenesulfonate, Hitenol BC10®, Maxemul 6106®, hydroxyethyl acrylate and [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyltrimethylammonium chloride, 3-allyloxy-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonic acid sodium, sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate, [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid, vinylphosphonic acid, allyltriphenylphosphonium chloride, (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride, allyltriphenylphosphonium chloride, (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride, E-SPERSE RS-1618, E-SPERSE RS-1596, methoxy polyethylene glycol monoacrylate, methoxy polyethylene glycol diacrylate, methoxy polyethylene glycol triacrylate, or combinations thereof.
[0061]The system controller 310 is configured to control the various components of the additive manufacturing system 300. As shown, the system controller 310 includes a programmable central processing unit (CPU) 334 which is operable with a memory 335 (e.g., non-volatile memory) and support circuits 336. The support circuits 336 are conventionally coupled to the CPU 434 and comprise cache, clock circuits, input/output subsystems, power supplies, and the like, and combinations thereof coupled to the various components of the additive manufacturing system 300, to facilitate control thereof. The CPU 334 is one of any form of general purpose computer processor used in an industrial setting, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC), for controlling various components and sub-processors of the additive manufacturing system 300. The memory 335, coupled to the CPU 334, is non-transitory and is typically one or more of readily available memories such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), floppy disk drive, hard disk, or any other form of digital storage, local or remote.
[0062]Typically, the memory 335 is in the form of a computer-readable storage media containing instructions (e.g., non-volatile memory), which when executed by the CPU 334, facilitates the operation of the manufacturing system 300. The instructions in the memory 335 are in the form of a program product such as a program that implements the methods of the present disclosure.
[0063]The program code may conform to any one of a number of different programming languages. In one example, the disclosure may be implemented as a program product stored on computer-readable storage media for use with a computer system. The program(s) of the program product define functions of the embodiments (including the methods described herein).
[0064]Illustrative computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media (e.g., read-only memory devices within a computer such as compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM) disks readable by a CD-ROM drive, flash memory, ROM chips or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory) on which information is permanently stored; and (ii) writable storage media (e.g., floppy disks within a diskette drive or hard-disk drive or any type of solid-state random-access semiconductor memory) on which alterable information is stored. Such computer-readable storage media, when carrying computer-readable instructions that direct the functions of the methods described herein, are embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the methods set forth herein, or portions thereof, are performed by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other types of hardware implementations. In some other embodiments, the polishing pad manufacturing methods set forth herein are performed by a combination of software routines, ASIC(s), FPGAs and, or, other types of hardware implementations.
[0065]The system controller 310 directs the motion of the manufacturing support 302, the motion of the dispense heads 304, 305, 306, 307, the firing of the nozzles 316 to eject droplets of pre-polymer compositions therefrom, and the degree and timing of the treatment of the dispensed droplets provided by the treatment source 308. In some embodiments, the instructions used by the system controller to direct the operation of the manufacturing system 300 include droplet dispense patterns for each of the print layers to be formed. In some embodiments, the droplet dispense patterns are collectively stored in the memory 325 as CAD-compatible digital printing instructions. Examples of print instructions which can be used by the additive manufacturing system 300 to manufacture the brushes described herein are shown in FIG. 4.
[0066]In one embodiment, three-dimensional (3D) printing (or 3D printing) is used to produce (or make) brushes (e.g., brushes 102 of FIGS. 1A and 1B) described herein. In one embodiment, a computer (e.g., CAD) model of the required part is first made and then a slicing algorithm maps the information for every layer. A layer starts off with a thin distribution of powder spread over the surface of a powder bed. A chosen binder material then selectively joins particles where the object is to be formed. Then, a piston which supports the powder bed and the part-in-progress is lowered in order for the next powder layer to be formed. After each layer, the same process is repeated, followed by a final heat treatment to make the object. Since 3D printing can exercise loc